Sterilizing device



Feb. 17, 1942. J. M. HOTHERSALL A2,273,037

STERILIZ ING DEVICE Filed NOV. 9, 1939 V\ Nh Y NV NTOR.'

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ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1942 UNITED STATI-:s PATENTl OFFICE s'rEnmrzlNGnEvrcE v John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. corporation ot New Jersey Application November 9, 1939, Serial No. 303,695

` s claims. (c1. 21a-447) the uid will be sterilized andl agitated as it.

iiows therethrough without danger of burning or scorching oi the iiuid particles.

Another object is the provision of such a sterilizing device which may be' contained in a compact space and which may be readily taken apart for cleaning and which does not require the expensive spiral tubing ordinarily used for such purposes, 'and which at Athe same time is efficient in operation thus reducing sterilizing time. i

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as itis' better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying v drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment therev As embodiments/ofthe invention, the single sheet oi' drawing illustrates 'a sterilizing device in which iluidssuch as milk, beer, creamed corn and the like. are passed underpressure along an annular zig-zag or sinuous course of travel while subjected to a sterilizing heat. In the preferred form of device, as illustrated in Fig. l. the heat for sterlizing-the fluid is created by electric energy induced into` metal parts of the device. 4

Such a sterilizing device lincludes a plurality yof separate inner ring or disk members II whichf have outwardly extending annular ns I2 and a,

plurality of similarly separate outer ring members I3 which have inwardly projecting annular iins Il. The inner disk members II are mounted side by side in iixedv position on a stationaryV bar or inner central support member I3.

One end of the bar I8 is formed with a head I1 which serves as a stop for locating the'inner disk' members II and for holding them in longiv housing 2|.

tudinal position in the device. lThe opposite end of the bar is threaded and is secured in a boss I9 formed integrally of a hollow liquidr inletA l The boss is maintained in its central position within the housing by way of spider arms 22which extend inwardly from the inside surface of the housing. The housing is connected to one end o f a supply pipe 23 which leads to any suitable source of supply of the fluid to be sterilized.

'I he outer ring members I3 surround the inner disk members II and are retained in a side by side or contiguous position within a sleeve or a stop for locating the outer ring members I3l outer tubular'support member25. One end of the sleeve is threaded into the housing 2|, a

.gasket 26being interposed between' the end of the sleeve4 and a shoulder seat 21 in the housing in order to render the jointleak-proof. 'I'he opposite end of the sleeve which is adjacentV the head I1 of the bar I6 is formed with an inwardly extended shoulder 28 which serves as in the sleeve.

This end of the sleeve 25 is also formed with a ground tapered seat 3| which ilts against a similarly tapered seat 32 oi' a hollow fluid discharge housing 33 secured to one end of a discharge or outlet pipe 34. A coupling 35 rotatablycarried on the housing fits over the end of the sleeve and is threadedly secured thereto for holding the tapered parts in tight leakproof engagement.

The annular iins I2 of the assembled inner ring or disk members II are equally spaced apart and thus set oi U-shaped annular spaces 31 between them. The annular ilns Il of the assembled outer ring members I3 extend into these spaces, a fin Il being in spaced relation to and Abetween each pair of uns I2. A continuous zigzag or sinuous annular channel 38 of uniform cross section is ,thus formed which extends throughout the entire line ofvassembled ring and disk members.

At the entrance end-of this line of disk end ring members the channel 38 communicates with inner and outer spacer washers 45, 43 and inner and outer resilient hanged gaskets 41, 48.

Thus the fluid entering the device by way of the inlet housing 2| not only passes `into the sinuous channel 38 formed by the assembled ring and disk membersbut also presses against the flanged gaskets 41, 48. The force against the inner gasket 41 presses the inner disk members -I I tightly together in end to end relation and the force against the outer gasket 48 similarly presses the outer ring members I 3 together endwise so that the uid will be confined to the channel 38 and will be reduced to a` thin film..

As the fluid film ows through the channel, those fluid particles in engagement with the ring and disk member surfaces are displaced or rotated when they ilow around thev curves or corners in the channel and this displacement agitates the fluid sufliciently to prevent burning during sterilization.

At the exit end of the channel 38, provision is made for discharging the sterilized fluid film into the outlet' housing 33. For this purpose there are provided special inner and outer end disk and ring members 5I, 52 which are similar to the entrance rings 41, 48. These end ring sections set ofl' between them a straight annular discharge channel section 53.

The heat for sterilizing the fluid film as it travels thorugh the channel 38 is preferably imparted to the device by a high frequency elec tric induction coil 55. This coil may be one single long coil or may be a plurality ofshort coils connected in series. The coil or coils sur'- round the sleeve 25 and are insulated therefrom by an insulating casing 56. `Such ka coil or coils may receive electric energy by way of lead wires 51, 58 and from any suitable source of electric energy. Electric energy passing through the coil sets up an electric field which extends through the inner and outer disk and ring members II, I3 and the resistance to the passage of electric energy encountered in these members causes them to become heated. ,It is this heat which sterilizes the film of fluid passing through the channel 38.

With such a construction of sterilizing tube, less space is occupied and expensive coiled tubing heretofore used for such purposes, is done away with. 'Such a sterilizing tube is also readily adapted to adjustment as to the desired length ol sterilizing time. This change of sterilizing time is effected by adding to or reducing the number of ring sections forming the tube. 'I'hus lengthening the sinuous channel 38 or shortening the channel ldirectly ail'ects the sterilizing time of a given product. Another outstanding feature of such a sterilizing tube construction is its simplicity and the ease with which the ring and disk members may be removed'and taken apart for cleaning.

Fig. 2 of the drawing illustrates a modified form of the invention in which steam is used as a fluid heating medium instead of electric venergy as just described. In such a modified hollow tubel or inner support member 8l which plurality of separate contiguous inner disk mempipe 34 which is threaded into the fluid food inlet housing 2|. This steam inlet pipe leads to any suitable source of steam.

At the opposite end, the steam tube 6I is formed with a disk member locating shoulder 68 which corresponds in its holding action to the bar head I1 of the preferred form. Adjacent the shoulder the end of the tube is formed with a ground tapered seat 61 which receives a similar tapered surface E8 oi an outlet boss 68 formed as an integral part of the fluid food discharge or outlet housing 33. {Ihe outlet boss-63 is supported in its place inside the outlet housing by spider arms 1I. The housing itself is threaded internally for threaded engagement on the outside of the outer ring section sleeve 25, as in the preferred form of the invention, but is here provided with a resilient gasket 12. Such a gasket is disposed in a seat 13 of the sleeve so that the housing may be turned down until the ground seats 61,38 meet in a tight leak-proof joint.

The outlet boss 68 is formed with a stea outlet passageway 16 which, adjacent the ground joint, communicates with the interior of the tube 6I. This passageway also extends through one of the spider arms 1I and communicates with a steam and condensate discharge pipe 11' which is threaded into the side of the outlet housing 33. This pipe completes a line of circu- Alation for the steam through the interior of the sterilizing device so that the inner disk members II and their annular fins I2 may be maintained at the desired fluid food sterilizing temperature.

The outerring members I3 and their annular fins I4 in this modified form of the invention are also maintained at a sterilizing temperature by steam which is circulated around the outside of the sleeve 25. The fluid food outlet housing 33 is formed with a long skirt or jacket section 8I which surrounds the sleeve 25 in spaced relation and which encloses a steam chamber 32. The terminal end'of the skirt setionflts within a sealing channel 84 of a conventional stuffing box 85 formed on the fluid food inlet housing 2|. Thus the outlet housing 33 may be readily removed when it is desired to take the device 'apart for cleaning. The stuffing box is sealed with suitable gasket material 86 and a turn nut 81 completes the assemblyto provide a leak-proof joint for the steam jacket.

Steam is circulated through the chamber 82 by way of an inlet pipe 88 and an outlet or drain pipe 89. These pipes are threaded into the jacket section 8| of the fluid food outlet housing 33. The inlet pipe leads to any suitable source ol' steam while the outlet pipe leads to a suitable place oi' discharge.

'It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from theioregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventlon or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formvherelnbefore described being merelya preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A sterilizing device for fluids, comprising a bers having annular fins setting off annular spaces therebetween, a plurality of separate contiguous outer ring members disposed around said inner disk members and having annular fins dis'- gasket disposed adjacent each support `posed within the annular spaces deilned'by the annular ns of the inner disk members to set oi a sinuous annular channel extending from one end of ksaid assembled disk and ring members to the other, an inner central support member for holding said inner disk members and an outer l.tubular support member for holdingsaid outer ring members, said support members being'ar sociated disk and ring member for receiving the ranged for convenient dismantling of the disk and disk and ring member for receiving the pressure' of the fluid to be sterilized entering into and flowand respectivelyV engaging against an outer aspressure oi the uid to be sterilized entering into and flowing through the said sinuous channel, said pressure forcing said ring and disk members respectively into closed end to end engagement to prevent leakage of the fluid, and an electric heating coilsurrounding said outer tubular support member 4for imparting heat to said assembled disk and ring members to provide sterilizing heat for the fluid passing through said sinuous anf nular channel.

3. A sterilizing device for iiuids, comprising a plurality ofseparate contiguous inner disk members having lannular ns setting off annular spaces therebetween;v a plurality of separate coning through the said sinuous channel, said pressure forcing said ring and disk membersy respectively into closer end to end engagement tq pre- -vent leakage of the fluid, and means for heating said assembled disk and ring members through said support members for sterilizing the fluid passing through said sinuous annular channel.

2. A sterilzing device'for fluids, comprising a plurality of separate contiguous inner disk members having annular fins setting oil annular spaces therebetween, a plurality of separate contiguous outer ring members disposed around said inner disk members and having annular ilns disposed within the annular-spaces defined by the an-l n ular iins of the inner disk members tolset off a sinuous annular channel extending from one end of saidassembleddisk and ring membersto the other, an inner centralsupport member for holding said inner disk members andan outer of! a sinuous annular channel extending from one tiguous outer ring members disposed around said inner disk members and having annular ilns disposed within the annular spaces defined by the annular fins ofthe inner disk members toset end of said assembled disk and ring members to the other, an inner central tubular support member for holding said inner disk membersand an outer tubular support member for holding said outer ring members, said support members being arranged for convenient dismantling of the disk and ring members for cleaning, each of said support members having adjacent an end thereof means for locating said diskeand ring members in longitudinal relation with their respective annular fins spaced from one another. a resilient gasket disposedl adjacentieach support member v and 'respectively engaging against an outer astubular support member for holding said outer ring members. said support members' being ar- L ranged for convenientl dismantling of the and ring members for cleaning,'e`ach of said support members having adjacent an end'thereot means for locating said disk and ring members in longitudinal relation with their respective lan-lnular-nnsspaced from one another, a resilient member'g 'sociated disk and ring member for receiving the pressure of the iiuid t'o be sterilized entering intov and iiowing through the said sinuous channel, said pressure forcing said ring and disk members respectively into closer end to end engagement to prevent leakage of the fluid, and means for circulating al iiuid heating medium through said tubular support members to -heat said assembled disk and ring members for sterilizing the iluid Y passing through said sinuous annular channel.

JOHN' M. HOTHERSALL. 

